Today I’m sharing about why it’s so important to include a warm up in your workout. This post is my top 5 reasons why warm ups are important.
It gets your heart rate up // Getting your heart rate up gradually is important. Doing it slowly instead of all at once allows your body to adjust to the increased workload progressively.
It helps to lubricate your joints // The more you move your joints, the more lubricated they get. Most joints are synovial joints. Bones that end in a synovial joint have a layer of cartilage at the end of them. In the joint between the layers of cartilage is synovial fluid. It’s this synovial fluid that becomes less viscous and allows joints to move more easily when you do a warm up. For more about synovial joints, check out this link.
It warms up your muscles // Your muscles are able to perform better when they’re warm. Including a warm up in your workout ensures that they’re warm before you start asking them to do harder things. In addition, getting more blood to your muscles means that they also have more access to oxygen. Oxygen is the fuel that gets them working.
It gets your body ready for your workout // In addition to your joints and muscles, warm ups get your body prepared to move in general. An important thing about warm ups is that they should be specific to the workout you’re doing that day. For example, if you’re going to be doing squats, working on hip mobility during your warm up is critical. If you’re doing an upper body workout, making sure your shoulders aren’t stiff is important.
It’s mental preparation // In addition to getting ready physically, warm ups help you to prepare mentally as well. Going over your workout plan, getting in the zone, and thinking about anything that you may want to add to your workout can be helpful. Getting into the “zone” allows you to put in 100% effort.
Do you include warm ups in your workouts? Let me know in the comments below.